Some decisions you make in your life are almost always easy, from the food you will eat for breakfast, to the shoes you wear to work, or the grocery where you’ll grab your essentials.
But whether you like it or not, some decisions can or may change your life not just now but even in the future. Choosing the right personal care team for your elderly family member happens to fall into this category. After all, this is a choice that can have potential consequences that can alter you or your loved one’s life as a whole.
Finding that perfect care team can open doors, literally and figuratively. The best care team can enhance the quality of life of your loved one by assisting them to get out more, participate in the activities they love, or simply make their lives brighter day after day. When you find the right team of carers, it will feel like you just found the friend who can give you peace of mind knowing that your family member is in good hands.
On the other hand, however, not all caregivers are made equal. Some of them might not be the ideal choice for your loved one. The care approach they follow might not suit your family member’s specific needs, even if they have only the best intentions. What’s even sadder is that there are instances wherein a caregiver may inflict physical, mental, sexual, or financial abuse on their patient.
Since there’s simply no way for you to know who you will hire, this only increases the scary factor involved in the process of decision-making. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be the case.
You will have a sense of peace of mind and a better chance to make the right choice if you are open-minded, thoughtful, and pay close attention to the following tips on how to choose the right personal care team for your elderly family member.
Consider Your Family Member’s Required Specific Level of Care
Non-medical home care is often the best choice for most aging adults. Your family will receive the attention and support of a professional care team depending on the amount of time they need it. Other care recipients can take advantage of these services for only several hours weekly, while some might need daily assistance from the care team.
Agencies are often more expensive but vetting them also happens to be easier. It is more challenging to vet individuals. Use this chance to decide which one will work best for you and your elderly loved one.
Which specific elderly care services does your family member need? Home support services often involve non-medical care, medical care, or both. You also need to determine if your loved one needs scheduled visits during the day or 24/7 live-in support.
You might also find that certain service providers excel more at different forms of care such as physical therapy, assisted living, or dementia care services. Knowing the specific type of care your loved one will need can help you come up with a shortlist faster.
Your search should also allow you to discover the agencies that offer all the different services you need under a single roof.
You have to keep in mind that as a person gets older, especially those who suffer from cognitive impairment, their care needs increase as well. See to it that the personal care team you’re considering can tailor the services they offer to the evolving needs of your elderly loved one over the long term.
Ask for Recommendations
Try to ask for recommendations at social clubs, activity centers, church groups, or other places where older adults often hang out. Discuss your concern with friends who might have also been through a similar situation.
Ask counselors and read online reviews of different agencies. Look for those with good and positive experiences with specific agencies and try to follow up on this. Avoid relying on anecdotal evidence alone but don’t take it for granted, either.
Talk to Your Elderly Loved One
It’s all too easy to complete the necessary paperwork, designate responsibilities, or check the spreadsheets. However, did you even bother to check with the person who will be receiving the care in the first place?
Keep in mind that more than anyone else, your elderly family member should have a say in this important decision. Never exclude them from the process. If possible, try to have them during the interviews as this is a great way to judge how a new relationship will pan out.
Organize and Carry Out Background Checks
In case you’re working with an agency, see to it that you inquire about their background checks and review the paperwork they use. Don’t hesitate to do so because it is your right as a client. But you might also consider conducting your check.
Thankfully, there are now plenty of sites and platforms that make it easier and more possible. You can also check with city or state authorities. Home-based personal care teams are not required to be licensed in some areas but you might still want to double-check. Some of the things you need to look into include the caregivers’ residency status, criminal background, and credentials. You might want to check people who are CNAs, licensed nurses, or those with first aid certifications and more.
Don’t Be Shy During Interviews
Don’t hesitate to raise tough questions when interviewing the members of a potential personal care team. Try to determine if they have carried out the same work in the past. Inquire about the type of personalities they had a conflict with.
You can also ask them about their personal history and comfort level. Just make sure that you don’t become overbearing or rude. Take note that these people are doing an important albeit difficult job.
But of course, don’t be afraid to be honest and firm about your expectations. You will also do them a serious favor if you lay out everything you need on the table right from the beginning.
Involve All Key Stakeholders
Are there other family members who are willing to help with caring for your aged loved one? Maybe you still have brothers, sisters, cousins, or other relatives who can offer assistance. See to it that you still involve them in the decision-making process.
Take note of the contributions they are willing to make, whether it is money, time, or food, and use this as a part of your plan. If someone cannot afford much but is willing to visit once weekly and prepare healthy meals, which means that there is no longer a need to cook for the week, you should also consider this. All of these should be part of your assessment of your loved one’s needs in general.
Craft a Job Description
Have you ever experienced applying for a job position where the interviewer is clueless about what you will be doing in the first place? If yes, then, you might have second thoughts working there. The same thing applies if you’re the interviewer. Make sure you craft an accurate and complete job description that focuses on your elderly loved one’s personal needs. Avoid sugarcoating things because the last thing you want to happen is to hire a team only to realize later that they’re not qualified at all. Caregivers can’t know what to expect, which means they can’t accomplish things unless you inform them.
Look for Agencies Offering the Right Services
Healthcare companies and agencies provide a wide range of support services to help the elderly maintain independent living and remain healthy for as long as possible. The services may include, but are not limited, to the following:
• Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease care
• Casual companionship
• Geriatric care
• Housekeeping
• Nutritional support
• Pediatric care
• Personal care
• Post-stroke rehabilitation
• Skilled nursing care
The specialist or physician of your elderly loved one can help you identify the specific services necessary for them to maintain and enjoy the best quality of life. Be sure to share the list of specific needs with the personal care team so you can check their customized care plans.
Search for References and Look into Local Providers
Double-checking that the agency is reputable with an excellent service track record can give you the much-needed peace of mind of knowing that you made the most suitable choice.
You will usually want to choose an agency with a long and stringent screening process as well as continuous development. Personal care team members are often required to have the necessary certificates together with background checks.
It assures you that the care team you will be working for is always updated on the latest safety and health practices. It also ensures that they are properly equipped to handle your loved one’s need for specialized care.
If you have found an agency you like that ticks off all the boxes, try to look for someone who already used or is currently using their services and seek their feedback. Many people will understand your specific situation because they have been in the same situation.
You can also look for opinions and advice online. You might also want to build a support network to talk about your situation with others who share a similar experience to get their insights.
Check Your Finances
Who doesn’t want to have a team of professional personal care team members who work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? However, this is never a reality for most families. This is why it’s important to get a full understanding of how much you and other family members can realistically afford before you begin your search. It’s already challenging enough to look after an elderly loved one so you wouldn’t want to increase your stress levels by getting overwhelmed by the expenses out of the blue.
Visit Your Shortlisted Agencies
After you have considered all the services you need, chances are you already have a shortlist of the agencies that meet your requirements. This is now the time for you to arrange or schedule a consultation or meeting with the agencies. It’s a great way for you to know more about their specific process, the kind of environment they work in, and if they are suitable for you and your elderly family member.
The following are some of the questions you might want to prepare for the meeting:
• Do you have references that I can get in touch with?
• Do your staff members go through the necessary background checks?
• Is your team experienced in offering services to people who have a similar situation as me and my elderly family member?
• Do you offer tailored services for certain conditions like Parkinson’s or dementia?
• How do I receive updates regarding the progress? How often?
• How often will your personal care team visit?
• What is your care goal and what kind of plan do you have to reach this goal?
• What kind of qualifications do your care team members have?
• How do you handle emergencies?
• What kind of support and training do your team members have?
The questions you will raise are going to be dependent on the specific type of services your loved one needs. Keep in mind, though, that they might not be able to accommodate or answer all of these, like meeting with the care team in advance. But still, it’s worth raising these questions just in case.
You might also want to look for the support system for caregivers like caregiver training or clinical supervision, as well as if there is available round-the-clock support during emergencies.
Share Your Realistic Budget
As mentioned earlier, it’s only understandable that most families are concerned about the cost of personal care team services.
When looking for a service provider, don’t hesitate to share your realistic budget so that the agency can come up with a care plan according to what your current finances can afford.
But you mustn’t base your decision on your budget alone. Your focus must still be on the quality and level of care your elderly family member will receive.
In case there is a shortfall in your budget, you might want to consider if other family members will be able to contribute or even take turns assisting with non-specialized tasks like preparing meals or cleaning the house. If everyone in the family pitches in, you can allot your budget completely to quality personal care services.
After the process of caregiving officially begins, don’t forget to check in with your elderly family member to ask about the kind of experience they have. A good personal care provider will be well-equipped and trained to offer your loved one the best level of support right from day one.
The comments and feedback of your elderly family member must reflect this. If it doesn’t, make sure that you raise your concern with the agency immediately. Open and honest communication can put everyone’s mind at peace and help ensure a positive and smooth transition.
Do What Feels Best and Right for You and Your Loved One
At the end of the day, even after you find someone who has excellent references, is technically qualified, and has the necessary experience, there will still be a guessing game involved. After all, you wouldn’t have any idea how things are going to work day after day.
It is at this point that you need to take that risky leap of faith. This means that you will be going with whatever feels right to you while keeping open that nothing in this world is guaranteed.
You will feel much better and you will increase your chances of making the best choice if you take this important decision seriously. Once you do so, you will already be halfway toward choosing the best personal care team for your elderly family member.
The Bottom Line
Choosing in-home personal care team services to look after your elderly loved one is no easy feat. You want to make sure that you look for the most qualified, trustworthy, and reliable service provider who can form a positive bond with your loved one to make the entire experience wonderful for everyone involved.
With all the different options available right now, it only makes sense that you ensure that you do your part and your due diligence before you make your final decision and settle for a particular personal care team.
Be sure to consider the factors above to make your search a bit easier and more convenient on your end. This way, you can have peace of mind knowing that your loved one is entrusted in the hands of a professional team.